Architecture of Tunisia
Large regions of North Africa, particularly near the coasts, came under the control of Carthage, a Phoenician civilization, at the height of its power in the third century BC.
The oldest of these is Medracen in present-day Algeria, believed to date from the time of Masinissa (202–148 BC), which consists of a tumulus structure in ashlar masonry.
The territory of Ifriqiya (roughly present-day Tunisia), and its newly founded capital city of Kairouan (also transliterated as "Qayrawan") became an early center of Islamic culture for the region.
In the 9th century the province of Ifriqiya, while still nominally under the control of the Abbasid Caliphs in Baghdad, was de facto ruled by the Aghlabid dynasty.
The Aghlabids were major builders and erected many of Tunisia's oldest Islamic-era monuments, including military structures like the Ribat of Sousse and the Ribat of Monastir, religious buildings like the Great Mosque of Sousse and the Great Mosque of Sfax, and practical infrastructure works like the Aghlabid Reservoirs of Kairouan.
[12]: 21–41 The al-Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis, which was founded earlier around 698, owes its overall current form to the Aghlabid emir Abu Ibrahim Ahmad (r.
[11] One of the most important Aghlabid monuments is the Great Mosque of Kairouan, which was completely rebuilt by the emir Abu Muhammad Ziyadat Allah (r. 817–838) in 836, although various additions and repairs were effected later which complicate the chronology of its construction.
[12]: 47 In addition to its heavy fortified walls, the city included the Fatimid palaces, an artificial harbor, and the Great Mosque of Mahdia.
The mosque's original main entrance, a monumental portal projecting from the wall, was relatively unusual at the time and may have been inspired by ancient Roman triumphal arches.
[12]: 49–51 After the Fatimids moved their base of power to Cairo, Egypt, in the 10th century, new Berber dynasties such as the Zirids ruled nominally on their behalf.
[15][16] The Qubbat al-Bahw, an elegant dome at the entrance of the prayer hall of the al-Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis, dates from 991 and can be attributed to Al-Mansur ibn Buluggin.
[12]: 213 The Kasbah Mosque of Tunis was one of the first works of this period, built by Abu Zakariya (the first independent Hafsid ruler) at the beginning of his reign.
[12]: 209 The Bardo Palace (today a national museum) was also begun by the Hafsids in the 15th century,[19] and is mentioned in historical records for the first time during the reign of Abu Faris.
[23][12]: 227–228 On the other hand, the hall also features marble decoration on walls, columns, and around the framing of arches, which appear to be influenced by Ayyubid and Mamluk architecture further east.
Major port cities such as Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli also became centers of pirate activity, which brought in wealth to local elites but also attracted intrusions by European powers, who occupied and fortified some coastal positions.
Its congregational mosque is accompanied by a madrasa, a primary school, fountains, latrines, and even a café (still functioning today), many of which provided revenues for the upkeep of the complex.
Instead of the traditional square courtyard, a roughly U-shaped open space wraps around the mosque and a columned portico precedes its entrance.
[12]: 221–224 Hammuda Pasha was also responsible for starting in 1629 a major restoration and expansion of the Zawiya of Abu al-Balawi or "Mosque of the Barber" in Kairouan.
Elements of the minaret and the mosque appear to be inspired by the architectural styles and construction methods of Aragon and Castile, where the moriscos originated.
[12]: 226–227 Under Husayn ibn Ali (r. 1705–1735), founder of the Husaynid dynasty, the Zawiya (mausoleum complex) of Sidi Qasim al-Jalizi, was restored and expanded.
[12]: 229 [25] Most of the Husaynid beys, along with many of their family members and close associates, were buried in a mausoleum known as Turbet el-Bey, which includes decorative details in an Italianate style.
[12]: 233–234 A notable example of domestic architecture from the early Ottoman period is Dar Othman, a palace built by 'Uthman Dey between 1594 and 1611, with later expansions and restorations.
It has an internal courtyard flanked on two sides by an arcade of horseshoe arches with alternating black and white stone, though this section may date from a later period.
[11][26] Husayn ibn Ali transformed the Bardo Palace into a massive fortified complex with various amenities including a mosque, a madrasa, a hammam and a market.
One of these additions, the Dar al-Harim, is a reception hall with a cross-shaped layout and a central dome, something typical of Ottoman palace architecture.
[11][10]: 477–478 Traditional Tunisian houses of this era, like those of preceding periods, were centered around a square or rectangular interior courtyard, around which most rooms were arranged.
[27] This "Arabizing" (arabisant) architecture (similar to Neo-Moorish) could be seen in many official buildings such as railway stations, post offices, and law courts, as well as in some private villas.
Some architects, such as Tarak ben Miled and Serge Santelli, nonetheless attempted to develop a style that combined ideas from both modern and traditional Tunisian architecture.
[27] The pit dwellings were traditionally advantageous for climatic reasons: they were well-isolated from both the desert heat during hot summer days and the cold during winter.
[29] In the later 20th century many of these homes were abandoned in favour of modern houses, partly due to occurrences of dangerous floods in the 1960s and 1970s that made the underground dwellings unsafe.
